


It's Love, Isn't It?

by ApomaroMellow



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Broadway References, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2020-09-23 06:49:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20335882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApomaroMellow/pseuds/ApomaroMellow
Summary: Five oneshots. Five dates. All Zutara





	1. Weekend Getaway

**Author's Note:**

> so this one's kinda different from the others in the 75 dates collection because there will be an overarching plot, but don't expect too much, they'll still be short lil bits focusing on the date.

Katara plopped onto the bed in their hotel room with a huge sigh of relief. She needed this getaway badly. Everything had been stressful. But midterms had ended and before gearing up for finals, she would have a good two days to detox with her 'boyfriend'. Said boyfriend came in after her, dropping their bags onto the floor.

"You remember our cover story, right?", Zuko asked.

Katara groaned. "We're dating. What else is there to cover?"

"We've gotta make sure we're convincing. You never know what'll happen if someone starts asking questions."

"How often have people asked you personal relationship questions before?", Katara asked, sitting up on the bed.

Zuko opened his mouth to answer that but came up empty. He had no reply to that so he just stood there for a moment before speaking up again.

"Regardless, we need to be prepared. Mai might be here and she'll definitely ask questions."

"Fine", Katara sat cross-legged on the bed. "You and I have been dating for three blissful months after hitting it off on the debate team."

"Our first date?"

"Dinner at your uncle's restaurant."

"First kiss?"

"Under the moonlight~", Katara said in a faux-dreamy voice.

"Good", Zuko said, satisfied. "We need to be in sync with this."

His reputation depended on it after all. Zuko had been dumped earlier in the year by Mai, whom he'd been with since their junior year of high school. The break up came as a shock to him but Zuko was determined not to look pathetic. So when the time came for their annual weekend getaway, Zuko fully intended to go. They went to the same resort every year.

And Zuko was 100 percent sure Mai would show up. Which meant he had to. And he had to do so with a new girlfriend to show he had definitely moved on. Katara was 100 percent sure Mai had better things to do then come to a resort she went to with her ex-boyfriend, but when Zuko came to her with this proposition she jumped right on it.

Who would pass on a free mini-vacation? Even with Zuko. The two of them didn't always get along but since Zuko became friends with her brother their relationship had been less tense.

At the very least, she didn't mind coming with him on this little trip. With their cover story in tact, Katara changed into a more resort appropriate sundress and was ready to go. Zuko didn't change at all, opting to go about in his t-shirt and jeans. They went out and Katara had been prepared to virtually entertain herself while dragging Zuko around to various points of the resort.

But that didn't happen.

Instead, Zuko was the one leading her around, having set up appointments for couples activities. And it was as if he chose them specifically with her in mind. They went sailing, got couples' massages, had a nice lunch together, and then took a dancing class before dinner by the beach. And throughout it all, Zuko had been the perfect gentleman.

He opened doors and pulled out chairs, always making sure Katara was comfortable. He even kept his touches respectable, opting to put his arm around Katara's shoulder instead of more intimately around her waist. She was surprised to find that she actually enjoyed his company. Her smiles weren't fake.

When the weekend ended and he dropped her off at her dorm, even seeing her off to her room, Katara came to a terrifying realization that thankfully she didn't act on.

She wanted to kiss Zuko.


	2. Wine Tasting

Surprisingly, an opportunity to kiss Zuko came sooner than Katara had expected. Not that she had been super eager or anything. She had just thought this whole fake dating thing would only last that weekend. Zuko had only wanted to save face in case Mai appeared there after all. She hadn't, by the way. And the two of them had simply had a lovely time.

That was what had thrown Katara off. Zuko wasn't lovely, he was brooding. And he always took the chance to disagree with her. So clearly his behavior for that weekend was just an act. And that made more sense than Zuko being a good boyfriend. And that whole charade was over.

So why was he asking her out again?

"Wine tasting?", Katara raised a brow as she looked over the brochure Zuko had handed over to her.

"Yeah. My parents usually go, but they can't make it this year, so my sister and I are going", he explained.

Katara gave him a strange look. "So why am I going?"

"They asked if they should reserve a spot for Mai and Azula told them we broke up and my big mouth had to say that I'd already found a new girlfriend and so now Azula knows and I can never tell a believable lie to her. Not alone anyway."

Zuko looked up at her in what could only be described as desperation. It was an expression she'd never seen on him. And she found that it suited him.

"So you need me to go and try a bunch of different wines and also cover your ass?"

Katara tried to look a little put out about the whole thing when Zuko nodded, but she ended up accepting in the end anyway.

* * *

And so, about a week later, Katara sat in the passenger seat as Zuko drove them to the countryside for some wine tasting. Katara didn't drink often, and wines even less. So she had studied up on wine tasting so as not to make a fool of herself. But either way, she decided she'd have some fun with this. They arrived in the late morning to an inviting villa and there were a few people outside, already socializing.

Zuko gave them barely a glance though as he led Katara inside and almost immediately they were sighted by Azula. Zuko's sister was the same age as her, and yet the girl always set her on edge.

"Oh, Zu-Zu, you came", she smiled. "And you brought your new girlfriend."

Azula was flanked by her friends Ty Lee and Mai and Katara tried to loosen her posture. Of course Mai would be here. She never strayed too far from Azula. It was how she and Zuko got close in the first place. Ty Lee was typing away on her phone as Azula greeted the new couple but her ears perked up.

"New girlfriend? I never heard anything about that. Did you Mai?"

Mai's deadpan expression never changed. "No. But as the old girlfriend. It wouldn't be any of my business."

"She must be _really_ brand new", Ty Lee continued on. "Katara's status still says single and there isn't a single picture of them together on either of their instas."

Katara was glad to have a drink in her hand to thoughtfully sip before answering. "Zuko and I just don't care to let everyone know our private business right away."

"And you should know more than anyone I hardly update that thing", Zuko added. Ty Lee and Azula were trying to stir the pot, as they were known to do. He just wished they didn't bring Mai into it. Or Katara.

"Oh he's right, Ty Lee", Azula smirked. The way she looked, it wasn't hard to imagine the red wine she was swirling to be blood. "But maybe Katara and Mai here can swap some stories."

Mai rolled her eyes. "I'm done with that part of my life", she said before walking off.

"Good idea Mai! I need some pics of myself in the vineyard", Ty Lee exclaimed, following after.

"It was so nice to formally be introduced to you, Katara", Azula said.

The trio left the couple and Katara waited a moment before deflating, careful not to disturb the glass of white wine in her hand. Zuko led her over to a table to sit.

"Are they always that intense?", she asked.

"Pretty much", Zuko replied. "Just be glad you're not Azula's enemy. There's a big difference between being wounded and being destroyed." Despite his words, he was smiling. "You did pretty good though."

"Thanks. And now you owe me super big." Katara took another swig of her wine. It wasn't exactly the correct manners when tasting a wine, but she had earned this.


	3. Broadway Show

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is NOT sponsored by Broadway

Katara was sure the wine tasting would be their last outing as an official couple. Just how long did Zuko need to keep up the charade. Mai was obviously over him. And though she was loathe to admit it, Katara knew Zuko had his share of admirers on campus. He could have any one of them if he wanted to venture back out into the dating world.

And yet, he kept finding reasons to continue with her. He would take her out on rather public events, things he and Mai use to go to. Occasionally, they'd be places he was sure Mai would show up, only for her not to half the time. He did very public things like sending her a singing telegram while she was having lunch in the cafeteria, or having a huge teddy bear delivered to her building's mail room.

One day, he showed up to her dorm room with a bouquet of blue roses. Apparently they were for just in case he hung out around there and Mai or Azula or Ty Lee found him there.

"I can't leave normal boyfriend stuff like a shirt or something, so...yeah. Enjoy."

Katara accepted the roses despite her confusion. They were beautiful and she had been wanting to put some flowers in a vase for a while. But something kept nagging at her. Blue roses were her favorite flower. How could Zuko have picked a random flower and gotten her favorite? Unless he had known. But she didn't remember ever telling him.

She asked Sokka about it, since he seemed to be so keen on talking to her boyfriends, current and exes.

"For the last time, 'Tara, I don't talk to Jet. We're both in the same philosophy class. Sometimes we're forced to talk to each other", Sokka reminded her.

"So have you been talking to Zuko?"

"Not really", Sokka said. "Sometimes we chat when we're gaming together. But not about you. Aang still has no idea that he's BlueSpirit12."

Sokka then went on to talk about his and Zuko's exploits within whatever video game they had been playing and Aang's obliviousness to the identity of the person he'd been allies with for years.

* * *

Katara walked, arm hooked around Zuko's as they entered the theatre. Tonight's excursion was to see _Anastasia_ on Broadway. Katara was excited. She loved watching plays, especially musicals. But tonight she had to get something off her chest. Because, and damn her heart for this, she was beginning to see Zuko as a viable dating option.

And it was messing with her the way this was all fake.

She'd wait until after the show, though. She needed at least an hour to gather the nerve and figure out exactly what she wanted to say after coming face to face with Zuko for the evening. By the time the show was over, her thoughts should be properly organized. They founds their seats and the show began. Katara knew the story very well but had never seen it on stage.

She was enthralled with the music and staging and everything. For a night, it felt like magic was real. But soon enough, the story reached its end and it was time for Katara to confront Zuko. They got a ride back to campus and he escorted her to her dorm.

"Zuko, how long are we going to do this?", she asked.

"How long? Uhhh, I guess until I don't look pathetic for being single anymore?", he shrugged.

"But for how long?", Katara pressed, not happy with that answer. "I need to get back to my life. And you know, maybe I wanna date someone for real."

Zuko's eyes widened slightly, as if just now realizing that. "I'm sorry Katara." He took a deep breath. "Come with me to my parents' house for dinner this weekend. After that, we can break up."

Katara relaxed a little. Although that wasn't quite what she wanted to hear, she wasn't sure what she _did_ want to hear. He brought her to her door and they said their good nights. After getting in and closing the door behind her, she flopped her entire body onto the couch.

She was in trouble.


	4. Meeting the Parents

The idea of meeting parents wasn't so intimidating when it was a fake relationship. Especially if they were going to stage a breakup later. In fact, Katara hadn't felt this calm about meeting new people in a while. The one that made her nervous was Azula. These were her parents too. And that girl could be scary sometimes.

"You should be here, helping me pick out an outfit your parents will like. Or won't like? I'm not sure what tone we're going for here", Katara said, phone sandwiched between her ear and shoulder.

"We're going for, get along but not entirely compatible", Zuko said, talking hands-free as he drove to her building.

"Okay...", Katara tried finding something that gave off that feeling.

When Zuko arrived, Katara met him at the door and away they went. They talked on the drive to his house, mostly about inane things but as it always did with them, one of the topics devolved into an argument.

"Birthday cake is not a flavor!"

"Yes it is!"

"Any cake can be birthday cake!", Zuko shouted. "Chocolate cake can be birthday cake. But they always mean vanilla cake with sprinkles. Call it 'vanilla cake with sprinkles' flavor!"

Katara crossed her arms. "That's too long. Everyone else in the world recognizes that as the official default birthday cake. You're the only one who won't get with the program." She was so fired up that she hardly noticed them going into a neighborhood full of nice houses and then coming to a stop in front of one of them.

"It's stupid. It's a stupid gimmick that preys on children", he said as he turned the car off.

"This is as poorly thought out as your blue raspberry argument", she said with a roll of his eyes.

Their argument continued even as Zuko opened her door and led her up to the house. And they were still debating when he opened the door and there was his mother, fluffing a pillow as a final touch on the couch.

"Mom, we're here", Zuko announced.

She straightened up and brightened considerably when she saw the two of them. Her warmth and inviting demeanor reminded Katara of her own mother. And then she met the man Azula got all of her traits from. Ozai looked down at her like she was nothing which seemed like an odd way to welcome a son's girlfriend, but what did she know?

Thankfully, dinner was a rather casual affair and Azula was absent. Katara loved talking with Ursa. Ozai didn't say much but from what little he did say, Katara could tell he didn't particularly care for her. She wanted to be upset but when she saw the way he spoke to and about Zuko, she realized it was nothing personal. He just had a stick in his ass.

* * *

On the way back, Katara was wondering how to broach the subject of their relationship again. Now was as good a time as any to plan out the details of their breakup. But just as she was figuring out what they should do, Zuko stopped in the campus parking lot and looked like he wanted to say something.

"Katara...I've been lying to you."

She tensed up at that, ready to be angry. "About what?"

"At first, this was only about showing Mai that I wasn't someone to be pitied. But I have to admit, there was a small part of me that kind of, just wanted to see, what it would be like dating you."

"And you couldn't have just asked me out?", she asked, hands on her hips.

"Would you have said yes?", Zuko accused, meeting her eyes.

"Well, of course not. But that's not my fault", Katara said.

"I know. I've been a jerk to you. But I thought if I could show you how...un-jerk-like I could be, you would, I don't know, give me a chance?"

Katara sighed. "I need to think about this", she said before getting out of the car.

She walked alone back to her dorm room, thoughts rolling around in her head and stony-faced all the way until she closed the door behind her. It was only when she was alone that she jumped and squealed for joy.


	5. Mini Golf

The next day, Katara had texted Zuko. The day after that, Zuko arrived at her door with a bouquet of both red and blue roses. And the day after that, Zuko asked her out on an official date.

Katara chose the place this time around.

It wasn't a fancy resort or expensive food tasting. And yet it was the perfect kind of first date for them - mini golf. Competition was simply a part of their relationship after all, even though Katara had admitted both to herself and to Zuko that she shared tender feelings for him. And this was the best kind. Something that was low stakes where the outcome wouldn't effect anything.

And yet the two of them still found ways to get very heated about it. And while Zuko would never say it out loud, for fear of getting smacked with a putter, he liked being able to watch Katara's behind do a little wiggle before she took her swing. Katara had no such qualms.

"You know your butt does a little wiggle before each swing?"

Zuko stood straight up immediately. "What?", he cracked.

"It's cute", she giggled.

Zuko was now very conscious of that little habit and tried very hard not to do it, causing him to mess up his form. He was about this close to mentioning that Katara did the same. Instead, he went for a different psychological tactic.

"How long have you liked me?", he asked.

Katara swung wildly, missing spectacularly. "What?!", she snapped.

"It's just hard to believe that your feelings for me changed overnight", Zuko shrugged. "So what did it? The play? The roses?"

"Occasionally, you don't talk. And that makes your features...less reprehensible", she said as they moved on to the next hole.

"And when I do talk?"

Katara let out a groan, unable to admit that that was when he was the most attractive. "Tell you what, you win, and you get two minutes of complete honesty from me about you."

"Only two minutes? I think beating you deserves a greater reward than that."

"Take it or leave it Mr. Fake-relationship-for-weeks-guy."

And Zuko did take that offer. It was worth it to know that Katara did in fact find him attractive whether or not he was talking and sometimes even more when they were arguing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Koi da ne


End file.
